Machine for compressing and rolling bedding springs



Jan. 27, 1959 A. F. CLARK, JR

MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING AND ROLLING BEDDING SPRINGS r 1 J, I L R w h J s N RN E m? MN 1%. \N 0 1 I N EL h 2 N. N WM N an oh. 4 n N A N Y \N NN B MM ww MW MN \mo N Wm wm r hm: \\\h v\ Q .NSWHUN M Q \n Q N N 3 MN my QN N NH N 5 Q l w h m a M d e l m A TTorzu'EY Jan. 27, 1959 F. CLARK, JR

MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING AND ROLLING BEDDING SPRINGS Filed March 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi/Z/kFf/Zkk /Z' INVENTOR.

I A rrozmsv 2,870,974 Patented Jan. 27, 1959 United States Paw W MACHINE FOR COMPRESSIWG AND ROLLING BEDDING SPRINGS Alvin F. Clark, In, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application March 29, 1955, Serial Ne. 497,675

5 Claims. (Cl. 242- -55) This invention relates to machines for compressing and rolling bedding springs, or inner springs for mattresses, and it has particular reference to devices for use in reducing or compressing such, springs to a compactness suitable for reeling onto a spool or reel to be dispensed in bed units, as desired, and its principal object resides in the provision of a mechanism whereby continuous lengths of the fabricated bedding springs can be made up in relatively long strips, preferably of a length suitable to provide multiples of bedding units, and compressed to a relative thinness and rolled into rolls or bolts.

An object of the invention is that of providing a simple and economical means for packaging bed springs so that storing and shipping can be facilitated, avoiding the usual bulkiness and unwieldy characterof conventional bed spring units which are generally packaged in crates or boxes singly, or by stacking the same in superposed arrangement, which involves the avoidable expense of proper packaging and the excessive space required in shipping or storage.

Another object. of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanism which is generally automatic in operation and by which bed springs of conventional dimensions can be cut from strips of considerable length capable of being compressed to such thinness as to be tightly rolled and thus handled and transported with greater case than is possible with ordinary packaging methods.

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of a machine of simple design in which is embodied a conveyor mechanism by which continuous strips of prefabricated bed springs can be moved along a table, com pressed and rolled while heavy paper, or other suitable material, is wound upon the roll to separate each turn of. the springs whereby to insure against premature expansion or unwinding of the springs until it is desired todispense portions thereof for the construction of mattresses, or the like.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein: R

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention illustrating the table, conveyor, and compressing mechanism, and illustrating the vertically movable reel bearings and releasing mechanism of a completed reel.

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary plan view of the invention illustrating a. spring strip being moved along the table.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the invention, on lines 33 of Figure 1, showing the arrangement of guide shoes. Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the machine, shown also in longitudinal section, illustrating one of the conveyor drums, the reel and reel supporting frame, the releasable reel bearings, and compressing mechanism.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the upper portion 2 of the reel supporting frame and releasable bearings, the reel being almost completed.

Figure 6-shows the reel supporting frame in fragmentary side elevation showing the completed reel being released from its bearings, and

Figure 7 diagrammatically illustrates, in broken lines, the movement of the released completed reel to the receiving platform, as shown in Figure 1.

Accordingly, the'invention comprises a table 10 which has a plurality of sets of legs 11 and a subframe structure 12 therebelow, as shown in Figure 1, which extends beyond thereceiving end of the working surface 13 of the table 10 and provides a support 14 for the bearings 15 of a paper roll 16 from which a strip of paper 17 is reeled to move along the working surface 13, as shown in Fig ure 2. u

A belt conveyor 18 is operated over a pairof drums 19 and 20, the latter being rotatably supported beneath the longitudinal frame members 21 of the table 10, so that the conveyor 18 moves longitudinally of the working surface 13 of the table 10, the paper 17 being frictionally attached thereto and moved thereby toward the reel 22 upon which it is rolled with the continuous strips of bed springs 23, as will be presently made manifest.

The reel 22 is supported at each end of its spindles 24 in releasable bearings 25 supported on blocks 26 slidably arranged in frame members 27 located on each side of the table 10 and extending thereabove, as shown in Fig ures l and 4, so that as the rolls of prefabricated strips of bed springs 23 are increased in diameter the bearings 25 are moved upwardly. This movement is accomplished by a hydraulic mechanism in each frame member 27 which will be presently described.

The lengths of prefabricated springs 23 are of standard depth or thickness for enclosure in conventional innerspring mattresses when introduced to the invention, and in operation the springs are passed between the guide shoes 28 which arespaced apart and adjustably arranged on an inverted U-shaped bracket 29 whose leg members are secured to the longitudinal frame members 21 of the. table 10 so that the bracket 29 istransversely thereof and the shoes; 28 can be moved longitudinally of the bracket for proper spacing.

On each side of the table 10, and intermediate its ends, is an arm 30 which is pivotally secured to a shaft 31 extending transversely through the frame members 21 of the table 10. The upper ends of the arms 30 are connected by a shaft 32 upon which a roller 33 is arranged for rotation therewith. A belt 34 is operated over the roller 33 and over a companion roller 35 arranged near the reel supporting frame members 27 and journalled at each end in bearings 36 on slidinng blocks 37 attached to the frame members 21 and secured by bolts 38 in slots 39 for automatic adjustment longitudinally of the table 16.

The rollers 33 and 35 are rigidly separated by bars 40 i which are secured at each end of the shaft 32 of the roller 33 and to the spindles 41 of the roller 35 and, by reason of this rigid connection and the pivots at both ends of the arms 30 and the bearings 36, the assembly is capable of limited movement longitudinally of the table 10. The belt 34 is inclined toward the table 1i] in the direction of travel of the conveyor 18 but is operated in an opposite directionfrom that of the latter, as indicated by the arrows appearing in Figures 1 and 4, so that the spring strips 23 are compressed beneath the roller 35 under the pressure; of the belt 34 and fed to the reel 22 which is freely rotatable on its spindles 24. Thus, when the ends of the spring strips 23 are secured in the V-shaped slot 43 longitudinally of the reel 22 the strips 23 are rolled thereupon by urging the latter toward the reel through the combined action of the conveyor 18 and the belt 34.

a The conveyor 18 and the belt 34 are driven by an electric motor 44 supported on the subframe 12 below the table 10 through a gear reduction box 45, the motor 44 having a belt 46 which drives a pulley 47 on the gear reduction box which has two shafts48 and 4Q on which are pulleys 50 and 51 whose belts 52 and 53, respectively, drive the drum 20, carrying the conveyor 18, and the belt 34 through the V-belt 54 connecting the pulley 55, on the shaft 31, with the pulley 56 on the shaft 32, as illustrated in Figure 1.

The sliding blocks 37, to which the bearings 36 are attached, are tensioned against the action of the belt 34 and theconveyor 18 by cables 57, one of the ends of which are secured to pins 58 in the frame members 21 of the table 10 and arranged over pulleys 59 and 60, the latter being pivotally mounted on stub shafts 61 on the blocks 37 while the pulleys 59 are mounted on stub shafts 62 on the frame members 21, the opposite ends of the cables 57 are secured to the reel supporting frames 27. In this mannera snubbing action is afforded to allow flexibility without undue resiliency as the spring strips 23 are compressed under the belt 34 upon the moving conveyor 18.

A hydraulic cylinder 63 is supported in each of the frames 27 and each has a plunger 64 supporting one of the bearing blocks 26 in the frames 27 so that when fluid is pumped into the cylinders 63 by the pump 65 through the tube 66 the bearings 25, supporting the reel 22, can be moved upwardly as the reel increases in diameter, and controls are provided for the proper operation of the hydraulic pump 65. Thus as the reel 22 grows larger and has reached its maximum diameter the hydraulic mechanism is caused to raise the same upwardly in the frames 27 until pins 67 on the blocks 26 engage swinging levers 68 on the frames 27 and move these members upwardly, as shown in Figures and 6, and until the tailportions 69 of the latch members 70 of the bearings 25 engage the inclined bars 71 at the upper ends of the frames 27 to release the latches.

At this stage the hydraulic fluid is released from the cylinders 63 by the latch members 70 allowing the blocks 26 to descend inthe frames 27 with the aid of pull springs 72, so that the ends of the levers 68 drop upon dogs 73, also pivoted to the frame members 27, in the manner shown in Figures 6 and 7, to form a track by which the reel is detached from the bearings 25 and caused to roll downwardly and outwardly over the'dogs 73, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 7, and drop on the platform 74 to the position shown in Figure 1. The dogs are thus tripped to cause the levers 68 to assume their depending position and the dogs 73 are returned to their normal positions, as shown in Figure 4. The completed roll can then be removed from the platform 74 and a new reel placed in the bearings 25, as shown in Figure 1.

Manifestly, the structure herein shown and described is capable of certain changes and modifications in design and structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope :of the appended claims.

Whatis claimedis: p

1. In a device for rolling innersprings for bedding, in combination, a feed and guide table having means for supporting a reel at one end thereof for receiving compressed innersprings, the reel supporting means comprising a frame extending above the table, and a vertically movable bearing on each side of the frame, a reel supported in the bearings transversely of the table, hydraulic means in the frame for raising the reel bearings as the innerspring-s are reeled on the reel, automatic means at the-top of the frame for releasing the hydraulic means and the reel when a predetermined length of innersprings is reeled thereon, means supported above the table for compressing the innersprings as they are moved longitudinally of the table, means for moving the innersprings toward the reel, and driving means for the moving means.

2. In a device for compressing and rolling iunersprings for bedding, in'combination, a conveyor and compressing table having a reel support on one end, the reel support comprising a frame on each side of the table and extending thereabove, a vertically movable bearing in each frame and a reel rotatably supported thereon, hydraulic means in the frames raising the bearings therein as the innersprings are rolled onto the reel, compressing and feeding means above the table and urging the innersprings onto the reel, and means in the top of the frames for releasing the hydraulic means and the reel as the latter reaches a predetermined diameter.

3. In a compressing and reeling machine for mattress springs, in combination, a table having a conveyor thereon and a reel support at one end, the reel support comprising a frame arranged on each side of the table and extending thereabove, a bearing in each'frame and a reel supported on the bearings transversely of the table, hydraulic means in the frames urging the bearings upwardly therein as the spring material is wound on the reel, a compressing device on the table impinging the spring material against the conveyor and cooperating with the latter to move the material toward the reel, and means for releasing the reel from the bearings and releasing the hydraulic means when a predetermined length of the material is wound thereon.

4. In a machine for compressing and rolling continuous lengths of bedding springs, in combination, a table havinga conveyor belt operating longitudinally thereof, a reel support on one end of the table comprising a vertical frame extending above the table and a pair of vertically movable bearings mounted therein, a reel supported in the bearings transversely of the table, hydraulic means in the frame automatically elevating the reel as the bedding springs are reeled thereon, and releasable when the reel has reached maximum diameter, a compressing belt supported above the table and cooperating with the conveyor to compress the springs and move them toward and upon the reel, means for Winding a strip of paper on the reel between the turns of the springs, and means for automatically releasing the reelwhen it is of predetermined diameter.

5. In a reeling mechanism for continuous lengths of bedding springs, in combination, a table having a conveyor operating longitudinally thereof and a reel support at the discharge end of the conveyor, the reel support comprising a frame extending vertically above the table and having vertically movable bearings therein, a reel supported on the bearings adapted to receive the lengths of bedding springs wound thereon, means for windinga strip of paper on the reel between turns of the bedding springs, means above the table cooperating with the conveyor compressing the bedding springs as they are moved toward and upon thereel, means for elevating the reel as it is rotated, and means for releasing the elevating means and the reel upon a predetermined number of turns thereof. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Stern Apr. 15, 1924 Asmussen et al. Sept. 2, 1952 

